a) moving animal cruelty crimes to a new section of the Code called "Offences against animals". This does not change animals' legal status as property but rather is a recognition of the widespread view that animals deserve protection regardless of whose property they happen to be. Because Mr. Trudeau, it's 2016!b) Banning Shark Finning and Shark Fin products -- don't even get me started.c) Dog and Cat Fur: Most dog and cat fur comes from China, a country with no animal welfare laws. Bill C-246 requires that fur products be labeled with animals species. This will protect consumers from buying unconscionable products.

This Bill does not affect: hunters/anglers/dairy peeps/sealers -- Not ONE iota.

So, please allow me to resort to begging once again. I am begging you to contact your MP and discuss the above. The laws are NOT going to change without you, the reader, doing this.

AAC, IFAW, SPCA, HSI, Zoocheck, Protection of Fur Bearing Animals, Animal Justice, AA Environmental Voters, CCFA, CFHS and Fintree have done all the heavy lifting on this Bill. We now need YOU to hold up your end and contact your MP. Come on! All the complaining in the world about our insufficient laws is NOT going to do a darned thing... Only your pro-action will.

So if this Bill doesn't pass, we will know who we don't have to thank for it. That would be each and every one of us, who neglects to make the call to and make the case with their MP.

Again, I have "Briefing Notes" for anyone interested. But the above, will be as much as you need to convey to your MP to dispute dissent from "interested parties" - AKA hunters/anglers/dairy peeps/sealers.

This is Gulliver, AKA The Buddha Cat! We saved this spectacular cat from the streets in January. He is a sweet, gentle boy; beautiful inside and out. Very laid back, he will cause you no trouble at all. He's neat using his litter box - no mess, doesn't scratch, jump or climb anything (except his scratch post), he's really civilized. Gulliver is not a needy, clingy cat, nor is he a skittish one. He won't be lying around your neck, nor will he panic at household noises but he will always choose to be near you if he can. He loves to play but is happy to chill out and relax too. He's a serene, independent, confident boy. We love Gully-bear but cannot keep him; house full of feral rescues that won't even get along with each other. We have no more rooms so Gulliver is living in an unfinished basement, alone most of the time; he can't even look out a window. Gulliver is 5 years old, neutered, vaccinated and fully vetted. He is FIV positive but vets agree he is healthy and can live a long, normal life in a safe, indoor home. Please consider welcoming Gulliver into your family so this poor, sweet boy can have a normal life. You will be glad you did but if, for any reason, it didn't work out we would take him back and continue searching for his forever home. Please, please help Gully by contacting Heather @ 905-294-7001. Thank you! (Ed note: please network this beautiful boy...)

Last week Home Free Farm saw the start of a new fence construction... because we are built on a ridge of rock - it's not an easy landscape for installing fence posts. We hired pros, and it still took all of last week to get through the rock. This week, they're back at it, and Home Free Farm is freaking out with excitement at the fact that next week, they'llll see a beautiful and super-safe new fence come to lif
e!

*THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TOWARD THIS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FENCE! So far, all donations that came in for this job have been spent. And then some. The Go Fund Me goal is $5000, (which included the cost of the 4 neuters for John, Paul, George and Ringo ... $800). They have another week of labour and materials to pay for... If you are able to help out with the completion of this job....Doc and his friends would be, so grateful. To Donate:
Homefreefarm.webs.com ...
carrielynfarmgirl24@gmail.com (e-transfer)
Spring Spruce Up - Go Fund Me campaign at the top of our page.

(Ed note: you can see the level of care and commitment to animals at Home Free - please support them even with a small handful of dollars...this is my friend Doc.)

ADVOCACY ACTION ALERTS

We Animals is now on Patreon! This is Jo-Anne McArthur folks, who needs no introduction! She is doing VITAL work, that is positively impacting hundreds of groups and thousands of animals. Please support by sharing this video and contributing if you can:www.patreon.com/weanimals

Bill e-355 - Farm Animal Transportation -- once more with feeling:

Petition to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canadian cattle, sheep, and goats may be legally transported 52 hours without water, food, or rest. Canadian pigs, poultry, and horses may be legally transported 36 hours without water, food, or rest. These times far exceed other jurisdictional standards, including the EU where animals may be transported only 8 hours if vehicles lack watering facilities, automatic fans, temperature monitors and alarms. Millions of Canadian farm animals suffer and die due to long journeys, illness, injuries, extreme temperatures, and overcrowding. Please have a heart, and sign and share this petition.

Robin 101: I had my first real experience with nesting Robins this week. I came across a very well-camoe'd nest late last, as I was Spring cleaning in the driveway. In my fir tree, I noticed a "mess"....on further investigation, it wasn't a mess, it was a nest, complete with mom and dad Robins, and two youngsters!

Oh happiness! For days I watched from my kitchen window; all I could see was their little beaks open, it seemed, 24/7, waiting on food from m&d. Once I got close to the nest and managed to get this shot:

Friday night, on returning from errands, this little one was on the ground in my yard; called him/her "mickeybird", after my dear friend and their Auntie, "Mickey" up in Ottawa.

mickeybird.

Wow! s/he fledged! But where's bird #2? I really thought there was a bird #3, but I think at the end of the day I was mistaken...

So, updating Mick in Ottawa by e-mail, she's delighted mickeybird is on the ground; loves the pictures, but demands to know, where's "mitchbird"? :) OK, so I take her up on it...

Friday afternoon, after seeing a client out, I came into my office only to find mitchbird on my "perch" outside my office. (you gotta love those unisex names! mick and I always have!) Here's the independent, resilient little cuss! Never had an animal name-sake before -- feel she suits me. Hair out of place, extremely adventurous, not-afraid-of-you-human-at-all, kind of little bird, and be damned if you don't like my outfit!

DE-termination!

Of course, I'm on Facebook as much as possible, getting kind and solid council from Sue Coules, Gervais Vignola, amongst others, as I'd never been through the drama of fledgling robins before!

So, all day Friday, I watched momma (possibly dad) dive-bomb Grackles who were threatening the babies; broke up a spectacular bitch out between mom and dad and my squirrel Bash (who is currently a nursing mother) -- and of course, Stella had been on lock down for at least 24 hours, who's been denied her yard, cause the babies were in it! This is mom and mickeybird hanging in back yard.

And mom policing... I saw her yesterday, on the clothesline with her partner, they were both swinging in the breeze, but mom had her eyes shut -- she was exhausted! Can't blame her!

This morning, I had to leave Stella and the house at the crack of dawn, to help a friend who is moving, and was having a garage sale. No sign of the birds.

Robin 102: No SIGN!
Who ya gonna call? GERVAIS! Tonight, Gervais advises that robins are greatly affected by the heat and have either a) gone to ground in the tall grasses in my yard or b) have moved on. Apparently, they join other Robin groups to "draft" and travel in a pack... (there's strength in numbers)...

I policed every square inch of the yard - no sign of mickey or mitchbird, nor mom nor dad. So apparently, they have moved on. What a relief (for Stella); what a strange disappointment for me (who was really looking forward to seeing them grow and fly, as long as they weren't taken out by Grackles, small mammals, etc. in front of my very eyes). Such drama!

So my little Robin family appears to be gone. Gervais advises, being so "early in the season" mom and dad might come back and hatch another batch in their spectacular nest!

I don't know, I feel I need some recovery time. But if they do, they are MOST welcome. Meanwhile, here's me and Auntie Mick, toasting mickeybird and mitchbird, wishing them NOTHING but the best in their darling, new lives. Good luck little ones.

Next week in RescueDiaries: Toronto Street Cats' Spray and Neuter extravaganza! Wait until you SEE the amazing work of the Toronto Feral Cat Coalition, spaying and neutering Toronto's Street Cats. You've got to see it to believe it! Look for a
RescueDiaries upload to YouTube on Friday afternoon, next!

I'm taking Sunday off. I think I'll garden and play Kong with Stella, now that birds have moved on. What a cool experience. Have to trust that Robin family is ok.